Chapter 14: Horribly Awry

『This is incredible...!』
『Right?』

At my involuntary exclamation, the giant of a man—apparently named Dalga—grinned with satisfaction.

What spread out before me was clearly different from our own settlement.
The rows of triangular buildings were, if I recall, what you’d call pit dwellings.
Smoke trailed up here and there, and I could see women carrying pottery and men with bows.

At a conservative estimate there were several dozen people, perhaps over a hundred.
It was a proper settlement—large enough to deserve being called a village.

If we could establish ties with this village, our population problem would be solved at a stroke. My chest swelled with anticipation.

『We’re back!』

At Dalga’s voice, which boomed across the village, the villagers converged.
As expected—indeed, as only natural—he seemed to be the village chief.
The others were built much like Gai-san and his men; the only outlier was Dalga.
I’d been worried that men of his size might come swarming out by the dozen; inwardly, I let out a sigh of relief.

『Take it.』

When Dalga waved a hand and pointed at the Behemoth meat, the women answered with what sounded like grunts and took it.
At that, I tilted my head, puzzled.

『What are you doing? Come on.』
『Ah, right. Coming.』

Dalga’s voice cut off my train of thought, and I hurried after him.
We arrived at the village center, at a dwelling built noticeably larger than the rest.

Inside, the earth had been dug out shallowly, and a conical roof sat over it like a cover. There was little that could be called furniture—just some earthenware and straw spread on the floor.

『Sit down. I’ll have food brought right away.』

Saying so, Dalga plopped down onto the straw.
The house must have been sized to suit his large frame.
Even I could sit without feeling especially cramped.

『Still, that was incredible back there—lopping off a creature that big in a single blow.』
『Eh, that much is nothing special.』
『Can anyone else do the same?』
『’Course not.』

At my question, Dalga snorted and answered thus.

『So you’re the only one that big and strong?』
『That’s right.』

As I thought, he was like Nina and me—a born magician.
Not a skill or learning taught by someone, but talent that belonged to him alone.

『What about you, then? Are there lots of talking big lizards?』
『No, that too is just me.』

Strictly speaking, dragons have a language of their own. With creatures this intelligent, I assume they all can at least speak.
But I have yet to meet any dragon besides my mother.
At the very least, there can’t be that many of us.

『Huh.』

Though he’d asked himself, Dalga replied without much interest.
Just then, the food was brought in.

『Oh... this is—』

I couldn’t help letting out a cry of admiration.
Poured into earthenware, it was a soup brimming with wild greens, mushrooms, and chunks of game meat.

Since coming to this world, it was the first time I’d seen anything that truly deserved to be called “cooking.”

『It’s good. Try it.』
『Yeah...』

Following his recommendation, I poured the soup into my mouth. Having been a cat-tongued weakling in my previous life, being able to eat piping hot food like this without ever burning myself is one of the perks of being born a red dragon.

「Mmm...!」

The flavor that touched the tip of my tongue made me groan despite myself.

Wild greens with a crisp bite yet no bitterness.
The dried meat released deeper savor the more I chewed, and somehow, when that mingled with the mild mushrooms, it produced a richness so luscious my tongue felt like melting.

And the broth into which all of that had dissolved—what a flavor, truly superb.
It was so delicious it sent a tremor through me, like nourishment seeping in from the tip of my tongue and permeating to my core. I felt like I could drink it endlessly.
I almost felt guilty for sending Gai-san and the others back to their village and coming here alone.

『For a lizard, you sure know how to enjoy your food.』

I drained the soup in no time and let out a satisfied sigh to savor the aftertaste, and Dalga remarked in amusement.
Come to think of it, he wasn’t wrong. Perhaps because there’s hardly any entertainment here besides eating, but in my previous life I’d been rather indifferent to meals. Maybe a dragon’s tongue is far more capable than a human’s.

『Could you teach me how to make this?』

I asked the woman who’d brought the soup.
But she only looked bewildered.

Maybe... I recalled the sense of wrongness I’d had upon arriving in the village.

『Does she not understand words?』
『’Course not.』

It wasn’t as if Dalga alone could speak.
At the very least, the men who’d accompanied him obeyed his orders.
Which meant they understood speech.

『You don’t teach women language?』
『Obviously not.』

Dalga frowned suspiciously.
What is this guy talking about?
His expression said exactly that.

『What good would it do to teach women to speak?』

I barely kept myself from grimacing at the unquestioning words.
It can’t be helped, I told myself.
For life in this world, in this era, that must be the rational choice.

『If you like it that much, how about this?』

While I was mired in those thoughts, Dalga handed me a jar that gave off a pleasant aroma.

『What’s this?』

The unfamiliar, mysterious scent made me involuntarily flare my nostrils.
It was like fruit, only far sweeter—yet not cloying like sugar candy. It was richer, deeper, more luxuriant.

『Go on, have a drink.』

Prompted, I stretched out my tongue and gave it a tentative lick, caught between hopeful curiosity and caution.

In that instant, lightning shot through me.

「Th-this...」

First came the rich sweetness of fruit, washing not only over my tongue but through my nasal passages.
An instant later, a piercing burn seared my throat.
Yet it wasn’t unpleasant.
If anything, the sensation made me crave more, and I tipped the jar back.
Heat flared in my throat, and it was as if vigor welled up from the pit of my belly.

「This is... alcohol.」

Only after I’d drained the entire jar I was holding in one go did it finally dawn on me.
In my previous life I’d scarcely drunk at all. I never could get to like the taste of alcohol, and I was so weak to it that a beer or two would have my face bright red.
But this—this was delicious. Even my exhaled breath as I savored the lingering aftertaste felt pleasant. I suddenly regretted not having enjoyed this in my former life.

『That’s the spirit. Have another.』
『No, I couldn’t impose that much...』

Even as I said it, my eyes kept drifting back to the drink.
It wasn’t just that it tasted good. I felt my body wanting it.

『Don’t hold back. A man’s measure is the measure of his drink.』

Quaffing from his own jar, Dalga said this.

『Then... just one more.』

In the end, I gave in to temptation and took up another jar.
It goes without saying that it didn’t stop at one.



「Nn...」

Lifting my head, I realized for the first time that I’d fallen asleep.

「Damn it.」

I sprang up in a hurry to find I wasn’t in my usual home but inside Dalga’s house.
Fortunately, my memory itself was clear.
I’d gotten drunk and couldn’t fight off sleep, and, just as Dalga suggested, I’d dozed off.
There was no sign of the master of the house, so I went outside.

「Whoa, it’s this late already...?」

The sun sailing the blue sky was already high, and I realized I’d slept not just through the night but almost until noon.

Dalga had probably gone out hunting already.
There weren’t any men in sight to leave word with, and the women didn’t understand speech.
So be it—Ai and the others must be worried; I’d better head home.

Then a thought struck me, and I peeled off a scale and left it in Dalga’s house. It pricked, but only about as painful as plucking a long whisker.

Beating my wings, I rose into the air. If I flew, it wouldn’t even take an hour.
Still, I hadn’t realized I was that weak to alcohol.

I suppose “weak” doesn’t apply when you put away four jarfuls the size of a hug, but since I couldn’t resist the temptation, I should still call it weak. Then again, dragons being lightweights is a cross-cultural staple. I should have been more careful.

Is Nina angry? Ai must be worried.

「Sensei!」

Those idle thoughts were blown away at the sight of Gai-san and the others wounded, and Ken rushing up with a panicked look.

「Ai and Nina—!」
「What happened?」

The sheer abnormality of it bled the color from my face.

「Taken away!」

It felt as if the ground crumbled away beneath my feet.